“Are you sure you don’t want me to pick you up?”

Siwon smiled as he played with his ballpoint which he tapped playfully on top of the documents he paid attention mere minutes ago, the other hand was steadying the phone on his ear. One phone call and he forgot all his works. He was supposed to finish his work but the distraction was just intolerable. His father wouldn’t mind anyway.

“Sure,” his smile grew wider. “I’m finished in two hours. I’ll see you then.”

Two hours might feel like two days for him. The yearning to see Tiffany was just vast.

“I love you too,” another idiotic smile was drawn on him as he ended the phone call.

Concentrating back to work might not be the most convenient thing he would like to do right now, not after talking to the person he would like to see the most as of the moment. He said two hours. Two hours until he was allowed to go home. But as distracting as that phone call was, Siwon’s workaholic personality started to take over.

He began scratching some points onto the files he believed needed a lot of refinement.

Two hours had passed but it went unnoticed by the tall, muscular, oblivious vampire. Stuck on his computer, Siwon was reading the contract his father gave him to learn. He wasn’t the one to sign the contract, but his father required his professional judgment on it. Wasn’t an easy job, must say, but Siwon had always been eager to enter this industry, therefore he worked really hard to understand the gain and loss for the company if ever his father was to sign it.

Another two hours went by unnoticed by him, and the sky outside had gone bleak. He had finished reading the contract and was making some notes on his opinion for his father to read. He wasn’t actually keen on this position. But being the heir of the Choi family, he had the compulsion and the responsibility to take a hold on the company.

Not that he hated it though, he would be more than happy to help his father, but his main goal had always been about acting. Thankfully his parents and families were very supportive on that dream of his. Back at home there were two sets of drama scripts he needed to read. His role was small, though it was a major leap for him.

Sooyoung was nearing; he heard her talking from afar. He sighed. This was not the first time his beloved sister visited him, and he loved it. Nonetheless, Sooyoung’s stopover always interfered with his work. As much as he loved her, he would prefer if she just stay at home and wait for him.

The door opened and closed in a brief second and soon Sooyoung was already in front of his desk.

“Oppa,” Sooyoung called. Her face was bleached, not that she wasn’t pale originally, and her eyes were wary. “Fany called me a thousand times.”

Fany. “!” Siwon abruptly pulled the drawer and grabbed his phone. He tapped the screen and it showed ten missed calls from Tiffany. He was so immersed on his papers that he forgot he was supposed to meet her two hours ago.

Siwon dialed the number. But Sooyoung snatched the gadget away from Siwon’s grasp deftly.

“No time for that,” Sooyoung said with a vexed face. “Something more important is happening.”

“Wh—“

Even before he could finish the question he was about to ask to his sister, Siwon had already been transported naïvely and unwillingly to someplace else. There he stood in a dark surrounding with his arms in Sooyoung’s tight grip.

He heard sounds of engines and honks wailing ruthlessly; he was still in the center of Seoul. He glanced around and noticed lots of trees lining alongside what looked like a pathway. A pond was seen not too far from where he stood. He looked a few meters away and found children playground neglected in the cold night. The park was empty and chilly.

When he felt the grip on his hand dispersed, he glanced towards his sister who was already on her feet again—this time in a normal pace. He didn’t question any of her actions instead followed her. Soon enough they reached a secluded mini maze just a few meters away from the children playground. But what caught his attention more was what laid in front of Sooyoung.

“Jesus—“ Siwon gasped. But Sooyoung remained poised, as if she was used to the sight.

Although it was a picture that Siwon must’ve gotten used to, but the idea of a lifeless mortal derelict in the cold and windy night wasn’t appealing for him. He had a heart anyway, even though it wasn’t literally alive.

Siwon presumed he was in his mid-forties, wearing nothing but a pair of sweat pants and shaggy tee, not to mention he was also barefooted. The skin was pale and eyes were dilated, mouth hung opened which made him looked like he was shouting inaudible scream of help. What went unnoticed by Siwon was the vivid and dried stream of blood near the clavicle, two tiny deep holes was the source of it.

“Has anyone seen this?” Siwon asked, eyes still looking at the dead limb sprawling on the dirt.

“I don’t think so,” Sooyoung responded, “If anyone has I bet we wouldn’t be the only ones standing here.”

Siwon crouched beside the goggling pair of eyes and observed the whole face. “He doesn’t look fresh, he must’ve been out here for a couple hours already.”

“Poor guy,” Sooyoung said in sympathy and pity. “We should tell Teuk oppa.”

“Unnie, where are you going?”

Jessica stopped and moderately turned to her sister who was looking at her through the stack of paper on the dining table. “I’m just taking a walk, Krystal. Tell umma I won’t be long,” she said as she took another step towards the common room.

“Unnie!” Krystal yelled before Jessica could even disappear from her sight. “Didn’t you hear what Leeteuk oppa said? It’s not good to go outside alone.”

Jessica sighed. Leeteuk had warned the girls not to wander alone at night since Tiffany’s incident. She was actually not that brave to revolt on what the leader had advocated, but she needed the fresh air. Being at home all day long was smothering. Heechul’s incessant calls and exasperatingly disturbing texts were evenly suffocating.

The last voice mail she received, Heechul had told her that he was coming over to check on her. She really did not want to see him, for she could never think rationally whenever he was around. She needed to escape from him, she needed to avoid him. At least until she settled her mind and ready to talk things out.

“It’s only nine. I’ll tell Teuk oppa I’m going out,” then she dashed out before Krystal could chant anything more.

Obviously she wasn’t going to tell anyone where she would go, Leeteuk in particular. The leader would be the first person Heechul would contact for help in order to find her whereabouts, and she knew very well Leeteuk was too benevolent to do so.

She started the engine of her Mercedes and rolled out the majestic gate. The ride to Han River was quietly short, not really enough for her need for solitary. She reached the destined place in no time and parked on the side of the road close enough from the river. She got out of the car and proceeded to the river.

Benches on the river bank were occupied and Jessica saw various couples were embracing each other and some were even making out shamelessly under the shade of the perfect moon. Jessica cringed on the scene; she was not the person who was fond of exaggerated public display of affection. But she had nowhere in her head to go. This place was the last resort; it was the only place that Heechul and she had never gone to as a couple.

Finally she spotted one empty bench not far from where she stood, and immediately she marched towards it. She sat on one edge and crossed her leg prettily. She exhaled harshly, in hope she could let all of her thoughts with the carbon dioxide she just released. The air was cold and refreshing and faint sound of people chattering behind her was almost unheard.

The chill was nice and the wind was cold but comforting. She closed her eyes and calmed her mind. But to her dismay the picture of Heechul making out and doing indecent things with another woman played in her head. Disgust, jealousy and anger rushed through her vein. Heechul must had had his reasons for such a thoughtless behavior, and it pained her to the fact that he wouldn’t tell her.

Jessica felt another person taking a seat on the other edge of the bench. She worried it was Heechul but relaxed then because of the female perfume scent she sniffed. She went back to her own train of thoughts and tried to sort things out inside her head.

“Such a lovely night isn’t it?” The woman spoke with a kindly voice.

To such a friendly gesture, Jessica couldn’t help but to respond. “Yes, it is,” she said as she opened her eyes and was welcomed by the sight of the beautiful river. The perfect rounded shaped moon was reflected on the surging surface of the water. Jessica found the small rhythmically wave was slightly absorbing.

After a few moments of silence, the woman spoke again. “I’m pretty sure you wish Heechul was here.”

Jessica almost snapped her head to the side. Just then she saw the beautiful, long, blonde haired woman was smiling. “Excuse me?” Jessica was quite confused on how the woman could have known Heechul. She didn’t remember Heechul having a blonde female friend.

The woman was wearing lengthy coat and was gracefully sitting with hands interlaced on her lap and feet crossed in such a manner. She was beautiful, Jessica thought. And the old surge of jealousy found its way back to Jessica’s already aching heart to the fact that this might be another woman in Heechul’s life that she didn’t know even existed.

“Do I know you?” Jessica asked with a big effort to keep her calm. She almost twitched her palms in exertion not to strangle her and juice some things out of her.

“No, you don’t,” the blonde woman said with a sly smile when she glanced at Jessica. “But Heechul does.”

The uncomfortable tingling rushed inside Jessica’s whole being. So Heechul really had a female friend that she didn’t know.

“I can feel your unreasonable jealousy towards me. But trust me, I am way out of his leagues.”

Jessica saw the smug smile on that pretty face that made her want to throw her to the river. That thick accent disgusted her to her toes and she almost wanted to beat the crap out of her. She was a vampire, Jessica could tell; she sensed it. But she did not know why she reacted this way to her, considering this was only their first encounter. Still, Jessica felt something was not good in her.

“I’m sorry. I still have more worthy things to do rather than spend my time on conversing about Heechul,” Jessica said as she decided to leave, not wanting to talk to a stranger that clearly was trying to push her button.

She was merely putting one of her foot down in attempt to get on her feet when suddenly the woman moved ingeniously and in a blink of an eye Jessica was cornered between the woman’s hovering body and the support of the bench. Something long and sharp like a knife was pointed right above Jessica’s left chest. The silver stake already penetrated through her cardigan and she could feel the slight sting from the pointy edge.

“Not so fast pretty,” the woman said in a mocking tone.

Jessica tried to be calm. As much as she wanted to throw her of, she couldn’t, considering how people—mortals—could see them unmistakably in this public place. She didn’t know what the woman wanted but she knew better not to do something stupid; one careless action and she could turn into ashes.

The woman was still smiling that Jessica found it way beyond sickening. “I told you that Heechul is not my concern here.”

“What do you want?”

“What do I want?” The woman eyed Jessica’s hand, and then went back to her eyes. The smile was gone and was replaced by a threatening and intimidating expression. “I want a taste of your blood.”

Jessica cringed at the statement. She saw no reason she should give this vampire she had only met her blood. She trusted nobody but Heechul regarding this. She didn’t even know why this woman—that she had grown to loath in just mere minutes—wanted her blood randomly.

“You should know that I am way older in vampire age than you, and that makes me way stronger than you.”

Wasn’t sure if she was doing the right thing, tentatively she offered her wrist to the woman. The blonde took it with her free hand and brought it directly and undoubtedly to her own mouth. Jessica felt the stinging sensation as those two forceful canines speared through her delicate skin. She could also feel her blood being slowly. She felt disgusted.

The woman didn’t take much. Like she said; she merely wanted to taste Jessica’s blood.

“Good girl,” the woman lauded in an unpleasing way.

She smiled her last smile before lifting her hand that was holding the stake, only to swiftly swing it to Jessica’s heart. Jessica was dexterous enough to dam up the attack with both her hands. The pointy edge was millimeters away from her clothed chest and Jessica began to scream for help. The woman was right; she was way stronger than Jessica, because Jessica’s hands started trembling from the force yet the woman’s hand was steadily pushing.

Jessica screamed for help once more and the stake was nearing her skin. As far as she remembered there were a lot of people near the river but nobody seemed to pick up her pleading. Where were these mortals when she needed them? She gave her might to push the woman who was now already hovered above her but she was too caught off guard to be able to match her.

A wind blew and the woman was thrown not far from the bench lying on her back on the pebbled ground. A very familiar figure with black, shaggy hair was straddling her and seemed like strangling her.

Heechul’s eyes were deep red full of anger and vehemence. “What the hell are you doing here, Victoria?” he was choking her but he didn’t care. He felt betrayed and outraged by her. “You promised to leave her alone,” Heechul growled in a deep, low, threatening voice.

Victoria was suffocating, Heechul could tell, but she was smiling teasingly knowing how mad Heechul had become. Her smile widen as she reached towards Heechul’s strangling hands, the she tried to make a voice that Heechul could not hear. He then loosened his hands only a bit.

“Don’t worry, baby. Hangeng just wanted to make sure that you weren’t playing,” Victoria said with a broken voice, her smile turned into a smirk.

“Tell him I don’t need those bloods anymore. I’m done doing what he wants,” Heechul retorted as he tried to get back to his feet.

But Heechul was stopped after hearing what Victoria said. “Well then I’ll just need to take care of that girlfriend of yours.”

“You !”

Victoria seized the opportunity to get up on her feet and backed away a few steps. Heechul did the same soon as he realized he was facing the concrete. He marched towards Victoria who stood still, not avoiding him.

“Don’t make a scene, Heechul, mortals are still around,” Victoria said. “You’ll do as Hangeng said, or else Jessica turns into an ash. Try to deceive us, and Jessica turns into an ash. Understand?”

Heechul’s palms fisted beside his sides. His eyes seemed to get redder and redder each passing second, those orbs piercing right through Victoria’s sardonic ones full of hatred and animosity. He wanted to bail but he didn’t want Jessica to be harmed.

“Good,” Victoria said in a playful tone as Heechul stood still wordless. “Don’t worry, you’ll still get the human blood you wanted every task you finish.” Victoria smiled again. Then she walked out the scene gracefully as if she hadn’t been attacked animally by Heechul, leaving both Jessica and Heechul rooted on the ground.

Jessica was clueless about what had happened. She couldn’t hear what Heechul and that woman was talking about but she didn’t really want to know. As far as she concerned, she still believed that the woman was Heechul’s female friend, and although Heechul was there, he still didn’t tell her anything.

Heechul turned to face Jessica, who immediately avoided his gaze as she turned around and left. Heechul wanted to run after her but he was still in his dilemma. At least Jessica was safe for now.

a/n:

i'm sorry for the short chapter, this one's kind of rushed...

pardon for the misspell gramatical error.... this is rushed T__T

next up, the ball.... ^^